Try ‘Hello’ Ronnie, before he hangs up. She told herself.

“Ronnie?” he inquired. “Is that you?”

“Uh Yes,” Ronnie choked out, sitting up.

“Hey, you called. . .twice,” he said shocked.

Ronnie smiled. “Sorry about that, I just figured you didn’t answer because I called blocked and I know how people are about that. That’s why I left a message.”

“You don’t want me to have your number or something?”

Ronnie ignored his question. “Did I catch you at a bad time?”

There was a long pause. “No, you didn’t. I just walked in the house. Kicking back. What are you doing?”

Ronnie fell back on her bed and looked up at her ceiling, figuring out what she was doing. “I am not doing anything. Um, laying down.”

“Oh, can I get you out of the house tomorrow?”

He would ask that. . . Ronnie took the phone from her face to blow an irritated breath. She brought it back. “Uh, I’m a little busy tomorrow. But, um, we can talk or something.”

“Or something. . . Yeah, I can substitute seeing you for hearing your voice.”

“Thanks for understanding.”

“What am I supposed to do, be a tool and scold you for not being able to go out with me?”

Ronnie chuckled. “You’re already a stalker.” She joked.

Hale laughed lightly on the other end. She could imagine him smiling brightly, displaying his pearly white teeth with a partially opened mouth. She couldn’t place his eyes or cheeks yet because she hadn’t captured them fully, but she knew,however―low or wide―his lids were over his eyes. The intensity of the grey would be strong, piercing through whatever he looked at.

“I am not a stalker. Actually, the drummer in that first band that played, Mind Funkd, he’s my cousin. I told him I’d check him out tonight. It was just a plus that Star told me you were going to be up there too.” He chuckled. “I don’t care much about his band. But it was worth going.”

Ronnie listened as he talked. It was the way his voiced sounded, by the way in which he spoke. His voice was easy on the ears too, but it all came down to what he was saying and his tone and pitch and its lightness. She closed her eyes and just listened. Giggling when he made a joke. Gasping when he said something shocking. Adding her input when he’d pause longer than three seconds. And smiling when it sounded like he smiled.

She saw him as they talked on the phone all night. Sitting beside her on that couch in the coffee shop, but she’d changed their background to a park, and placed them on a bench, with a tree’s leaves over their heads. It was the most perfect unrealistic moment she’d ever imagined.

“Ronnie,” Hale called, waking her.

“Hum.”

“I think I’ve talked you to sleep.”

Ronnie softly yawned. “No, you didn’t. Um, don’t think I’m weird but your voice is soothing. But I was with you, every syllable.”

“You get some sleep. I’ll talk to you later.”

Ronnie all but wanted to hang up.

“Actually, you’ll talk to me later because I have no way to contact you.”

That was Ronnie’s sign to drop the call. The world she had just painted. The greenery of the grass in the park, the bright green of the tree leaves above their heads, the perfect brown of the bench they sat on that had faded in color from rain and time, the candy red Charlie on the street behind them, the ice cream cart two feet away from them and the little dog she painted beside Hale’s feet. It all got rained on. Turning her canvas into a pool of colors. Streaked blues, greens, browns, pinks, reds, and oranges, all mixing together into a lifeless black. . .

“Thanks for answering, Hale. I’ll talk to you later.”

The call ended and Hale had not said goodbye.

“Hey Ronnie,”

Ugh. . . Bad Breath Betty. “Hi Betty.”

“Hi, I’m having a couple friends over for a slumber party. I think it would be great if you came by.”

“Betty.” Ronnie adjusted her backpack. “I can’t.”

“Are you sure. I heard you were able to get out and go to the coffee shop last week and I’m sure if your mom knew you we―”

“Ronnie.” Cynical ran to Ronnie’s side from a blue drop top. “Hey!” he was dressed down, without the spikes in his hair, no skintight pants, no piercings, a belt, and converses.

“Excuse me, do I know you,” Ronnie joked.

Cynical smiled. He pointed to himself. “Yes, Cynical. I know you don’t recognize me without my flock of babesbehind me. But I do live a normal life. Um,” he pointed at himself, head to toe. “This is usually how I look. . .out of character.” He grinned. “You like it. Or do you prefer the spikes.”

“So Ronnie, are you in.” Betty smiled, tongue moving behind her teeth.

“Oh, uh. . .I’m sorry. Were you on your way somewhere?” Cynical asked, looking back and forth from Betty to Ronnie.

Ronnie smiled at Betty. “I’m sorry, Betty. I can’t. That was a one-time thing and the only reason I was able to get out was because of Leland. I’m sorry, I can’t.”

“It’s okay, I guess I’ll catch you next time.” Betty turned off and when, getting in her mom’s van, she was scoldedonce again for talking to Ronnie, “the trouble maker. ”

“That’s your friend? She’s a little. . .not your type,” Cynical stated.

Ronnie shook her head. “She’s fine. What brings you to my school?”

“You. I haven’t seen you in a couple of days. And usually those bracelets mean two places for people your age. School and home. I know Star goes to school here, like most kids in our town, and I hoped I’d run into you.”

“I guess you hoped hard enough.”

“So that song. Your Song. I perfected it and it’s ready for you to hear it.”

“I’m on a time limit. I have to get home.”

Cynical nodded. “How much longer you have to wear that jewelry anyway?”

This cannot be happening. . . Ronnie watched Star, Hale, and Brett coming down the sidewalk. Ronnie looked behindher and saw Star’s car parked in the lot.

“Um, Ronnie.” Cynical nipped her chin.

“Can you excuse me?”

Cynical took two steps back from her. “Oh, I get it. Nice guy, bad guy.” He pushed his fingers through his dark wavyhair and it fell back forward, a few strands brushing his eyebrows. The move that will draw any girl speechless, along with the canvas of tatts inked into his arm. “You’re a bronze kind of girl. I forgot.”

Ronnie held her ground. “God, Bronze, really. It’s nothing like that. You know, you would be so much better of a person if you weren’t so full of yourself.” Ronnie blurted without raising her voice. He threw her off of the approaching group of guys that she was originally trying to escape.

“Well, tell me what it is, Ronnie. Because when I’m being myself, you always blow me off. When I’m being ‘that guy, ’ you’re going for it. Smiling, talking to me calmer. Explain that to me. Or what, you have to go because once again you don’t have the time being on house arr―”

Ronnie clamped her hand over his mouth. Hale was only a foot from them and she could tell he was listening. With her hand that high her sleeve had fallen, flashing the perfect black matte bracelet, blinking that little red light every three seconds.

She yanked her arm down and clutched her sleeves in her hands so they could never rise back up.

Ronnie was found out. She knew it, she saw Hale’s eyes shift to her covered wrist. “You’re ashamed?” he questioned with his brows knit to their middle. He eyed Ronnie like she was a completely different person.

Ronnie looked for an escape. Behind her, she looked at an open lot that she could do nothing but run through. But what if he chased after her? There was no way she could hide it, no way could she lie with Cynical there in all his disrespect right then.

So she did the only thing she was good at. She completely avoided it. Walked off and didn’t look back.

She trucked it home. Embarrassed and ashamed she had lied and her secret was out. She didn’t want Hale to know about that. She didn’t want him to place that judgment on her. But the cat was out of the bag.

“Ronnie.” A local police officer stopped her police car.

Ronnie looked at her, noticing her car facing the opposite direction she was walking. She shook her head, getting ready to mess up her day even further. Armani walked away from Ronnie five minutes before Betty walked up. She passed over five bags of wafers Ronnie is supposed to be getting to Leland so she could get out tomorrow night. Just her luck this officer would do a random search.

“I have to get home. I’m on a time limit.” Ronnie called, still walking.

The officer shook her head. “No can do, you’re on random. I’ll check you in and drop you off.”

No way. . .

Ronnie’s heart pumped, her legs shook as she walked, wanting to run, ready to flee the police officer closing her door and pulling her radio to her mouth, calling Ronnie in.

Her breath quickened becoming more and more nervous by the second. She had no other options. She couldn’t get caught or they’d ship her off again.

Ronnie checked the weight of her backpack, bounced once on her tiptoes, took a deep breath. . .then ran.

She fled through the yard of a nearby house, over the fence behind it and onto the next block. The officer yelled her name and yelled into her radio, informing other officers Ronnie was on the run.

If Ronnie could get somewhere to stash the bag, she could run home and get in trouble for running, at least she wouldn’t be caught with the drugs.

She escaped down a street more than ten blocks from hers. She went through another yard, over more fences and back onto another street. Sirens sounded, and they weren’t far off.

She ran faster, hoping she was gaining distance, but the yells and sirens told her she wasn’t.

“Hey, where you headed?” Hale. . . ran beside her, coming out of nowhere.

Ronnie looked back and forth from him to her path, becoming short of breath quicker than she would have if he wasn’t there.

“You run really fast,” he told her taking deep breaths.

A police car skidded onto the street somewhere behind her.

She cut through another house’s yard, and Hale stayed at her side, jumping fences, cutting through yards.

“Come on, this way,” he said, pulling her arm.

Ronnie stumbled, falling flat on her face. The words were too familiar, throwing Ronnie off.

Hale helped her from the ground and pulled her to run. “I’d guess those police sirens and yelling cops are coming for you. . .”

Ronnie shook her head. “I can’t hide. I gotta stash and go home. I probably have about fifteen minutes to run through my front door. If I don’t make it. . . I’m done for.” Ronnie admitted through heavy breaths.

“Cut through here, these houses have fences too tall to see over or through.”

She followed him where he led. He opened the fence’s door and Ronnie ran in before him.

“Give me what you need to stash. I’ll bring it to you later. We’ll split up. Call me when you’re ready for me to drop it back off.”

“What?” Ronnie blurted ready to refuse his offer. “No, I couldn’t. If you get busted, that will be on both of us.”

“The sirens are getting closer. You don’t have much time to rummage through your book bag and hand over the goods.”

“No, Hale. I couldn’t.”

“Ronnie, come on. I got this.”

Ronnie obeyed and dug the five packs from her bag and handed them to him.

He stuffed them into his pocket, pulled Ronnie close, lightly kissed her cheek then ran his thumb over the same area his lips had left before he took off jumping the fence.

Chapter 2

Ronnie stood, surprised. When she stopped she dropped to her knees and took a second to gather herself. Hale totally threw her off course. She entered the street and forgot which direction she should have been heading.

All she could feel was the two seconds of the lingering kiss his lips left on her cheek before his thumb wiped it away.

The shout of her name from an oncoming officer drew her back.

Ronnie turned and ran the remaining three blocks to Cassie’s house. She burst through the front door just as the siren to her bracelet started going off.

“Oh, I made it!” she exclaimed excitedly with her arms in the air, falling to her knees. She needed to put on a show for the lie she was going to tell.

“What on earth is going on?” Cassie came flying down the stairs to the front door, five police officers were surrounding. One had the cuffs ready, another threw on the gloves, and the last three stared at Ronnie like they knew she was up to no good.

Ronnie stood and spread her legs and arms out to her side with her backpack still on. “I told you I needed to get home.” She stated to the officer that was pulling the bag from her shoulder. She rolled her hands over Ronnie’s arms after handing off the bag to a heavyset male officer.

“What’s in the bag, Ronnie?” Chubs asked.

“Aren’t you going to check it? Why are you asking me?”

Chubs looked at Ronnie over the bridge of his glasses. His light grey hair was combed back and his cheeks were red like Santa Clause. “I want to give you the opportunity to tell the truth and let us know before we find out. It will make your time shorter.”

Ronnie looked up at the ceiling. “Well, it is some books. I think English and science. I have a math and English notebook in there. If you dig real deep you’ll find a few pens and pencils I’ve probably been looking for and maybe a moldy old sandwich I lost last week. You might be tempted to eat it, but I’m warning you. . .it’s old.”

Cassie closed her eyes, shaking her head. “Is all this really necessary. She was only trying to get home. Ronda has been doing so well. You all do not have to treat her like she is some criminal.”

“Ma’am, if she had not fled and allowed the officer who approached her to search her then, there wouldn’t be five of us here in your lovely home doing this now.”

“That is still treating her like a criminal. She would have been sprawled out on the back of that officer’s car being searched in front of the entire neighborhood. I would have run too. No wonder she can’t get any decent friends. You all are out here making her look like a thug.”

Woo go Cassie! “That is why I ran, besides me needing to make it home before my darling jewelry alerted the entire neighborhood I was late. I didn’t want everyone to watch me get fondled by you narcs who don’t have enough respect toat least sweet talk me before you feel me up.”

“Ronda, don’t make it worse. Let me handle this.”

The manly looking female officer searching Ronnie patted her back two times too hard. Ronnie jerked forward from each smack, barely able to refrain from falling. “She’s clean.” She stated in a raspy voice, sounding like a young boy who smoked too much.

“Her bag’s clean too.” The male officer searching her backpack informed.

“Good to hear.” Ronnie’s brows knit in confusion. “But I could have sworn I left that sandwich in there,” Ronnie said to him with a tight smirk. She shrugged. “Sucks for you, guess you have to stop for donuts.”

Chubs spread his fat red lips to speak but was cut off by one of the officers waiting by the door. “Excuse us, ma’am, sorry for the intrusion.” The officers left, closing the door behind them.

“How do they ever expect you to perform decently if they are always treating you like an ex-convict. All of this security and searches are making it worse.” Cassie was becoming hysterical. She sat down on the stairs and started counting. “One one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand.” The red in her face slowly started to fade and her breaths evened out.

“It’s okay, Cassie.” Ronnie sat beside her, rubbing her shoulder. “Don’t let it make you uncomfortable. I’m used to it. I’m going to keep at my good behavior so it can be over soon.”

Cassie hugged Ronnie.

“Okay, too close.” Ronnie choked out, being squeezed too tight.

Cassie rubbed along her back and rose, going up stairs.

“You want to know how I knew you were already home, Ronnie.” Leland asked, strolling through the door. “The police are here too.”

Ronnie stuck out her hand.

Leland faked handing over his phone, snatching it back when Ronnie grabbed at it. “Where is it?” he whispered.

“Do you not see the Ron Squad out there?” Ronnie snarled low through her teeth. “Let me get it.” She threw her hand out forcefully.

Leland slapped the phone in it. “Hurry up. I need it.”

“Which one?” Ronnie mumbled. “The phone or your fix.” She stood from the stairs heading to the basement. “Getting high is only beneficial for the dealer, Leland,” Ronnie said low. Leland was following behind her.

“Like yourself.”

She whipped around, hating being reminded of the life she wished she could live down. “I don’t deal.” She denied. “But if I did, my response would be hell yeah,” she said slowly. Ronnie refused to claim that she still sold drugs, she was trying to stop, and if it wasn’t for him, she probably would have.

“Make the call. And don’t you worry about me.”

“Uh huh.” Ronnie ran down the stairs wishing she had a door she could close. Instead, she yanked the long curtain closed that cut off anyone from seeing into her room. It kept people on the stairs from seeing into her private space.

The line rang and as usual Hale didn’t answer the first time. Ronnie stopped leaving messages and started calling back to back three times so he’d know it was her.

“Hey Ronnie,” he answered dryly. “You know, one day, you are going to call me with a ten-digit number appearing on my screen. Then a name.”

“What will the name read? Crazy girl, do not answer.”

Hale laughed. “No, in my mind I call you Nonie. So that will probably be what I save your number under.”

The phone slipped from Ronnie’s fingers. She juggled it between her hands before it finally settled in her left. “N-Nonie?” she stuttered.

“Yeah, I know it’s not the best name. But it’s just the name that comes when I think about you.”

Ronnie sat back on her bed, speechless. It was too much. . .

“I want to talk to you about something. I think I understand why you can’t go out with me. So you think I can come by? I’ll bring your jizz. Do you have porch privileges?”

Ronnie’s mouth went dry. “Uh. . .” she swallowed hard. She wanted to say no, but she just couldn’t. “Sure, Hale. I’m over on fifteen, twenty-five Sunset.”

“Drive or Road? There are two of those streets.”

“Road,” Ronnie squeaked.

Hale paused. “If you don’t want me to stop by. I don’t have to.”

“No, no. It’s okay. I just, really need a glass of water. I’ll see you when you get here.”

Ronnie rummaged through the clothes in her closet, nothing was good enough but she settled on a skirt, tights, and a blouse. She’d still wear her biker boots and keep her hair down. She then raced upstairs and threw Leland his phone who happened to be waiting by the basement door. She charged for the bathroom to rip the toothbrush from the holder and toothpaste from the drawer. She brushed quickly, rinsed and glanced over herself in the mirror. She wasn’t perfect. . .who was? But she was good enough.

Hale just had, ‘accept Ronnie the way she is’ written all over him. And the reassuring voices whispering in her ears gave her a boost of confidence.

Besides their run from the cops, Ronnie hadn’t seen Hale since the Coffee Shop. They talked every night on the phone for the past eight days and Ronnie truly felt like a new person with him in her life. She was happier and bubblier. Even she noticed the change.

On the rock star hand. . .she always ran into Bronze. Mostly Cynical recently and he was always such a tool. A belligerent tool. No way could he think the things he would say were okay. Ronnie mostly wanted to slap him. But then he’d flip the switch and go a golden Bronze and oddly make Ronnie smile. He was perfect in his own way.

A knock sounded on the bathroom’s door. “Ronnie,” Leland called. “Hale is at the door for you.”

Ronnie burst from the bathroom and shot down the stairs, calming before she opened the door. “Hey,” she uttered.

“Hi.” He looked Ronnie over. “Like the threads. Do I have to step in or can you sit outside?”

“Cassie?” Ronnie called.

“Yes, Ronda.”

Ronnie’s head fell in embarrassment. She could not believe Hale just heard her ugly government name. She peeked up at him and he cracked a small smile.

“Is it okay if I sit on the porch?”

“Yes, Ronda. I’ll extend your radius three feet from the front door. I can’t turn off the beeping, though.” When the radius is extended from the front door, Ronnie’s bracelets beep every five seconds reminding her she’s close enough to the edge of the invisible line to sound the alarms. But it didn’t have to be. Ronnie could stand outside of that door and not worry about it going off. Yet, if she walked three feet from the porch. . .there’d be a problem.

“This is so embarrassing,” Ronnie mumbled. “It’s fine. Thank you.”

Ronnie pulled the door closed and sat down before Hale.

He sat, releasing a heavy breath. “So. . . house arrest, huh?”

Ronnie inhaled deeply. “Sorry, I lied,” she said awkwardly.

“You didn’t have to. I would have understood. Seems everyone else knows. Why hide it from me?”

“I can’t explain.”

Hale went silent for a long time. The hands on his watch ticked and tocked loudly, or Ronnie could have just been growing more nervous by the second.

“I get it if it changes your mind about me.” Ronnie broke the silence. “I get it, you know, I’m not who you thought. I’m not the best person in the world, and most people want to have nothing to do with me. I just wanted to try to seem better than I was, you know. Not seem like some tired old street rat, out on a limb.”

“You are way more than a street rat, Nonie.”

Ronnie’s eyes shot to Hale’s. “There is something so familiar about you. Everything about you. From your eyes, what you say, how you walk. Nonie. . .”

“Familiar from what?” Hale looked off, down the street.

Ronnie shook her head.

“You’re so secretive and you don’t share much about yourself. When we talk, I do most of the talking and you barely share anything. You avoid a lot of my questions if not all of them. And I know there has got to be something going on under all this curly different color brown hair. An adventurous life held behind those soft blue eyes, and magic inside your smile.” He faced her. “Let me in. . . I promise I’ll stay in your shadows.”

“And what happens when the light is gone?”

“You will be too.”

Ronnie stared into Hale’s grey eyes. “Then what will become of you?”

Hale shrugged. “I guess I’ll become a part of the darkness. Left in your shadows.”

Ronnie squinted, studying him. Trying to understand him, trying to make something out of the nothing she came up on. “I’m not what you think.”

“Neither am I.”

“No, you are exactly what I think.”

“What’s that?” His brows rose waiting. “You’re not on a time limit are you?”

“I don’t know, probably.” Ronnie crossed her legs out in front of her. “You remind me of this boy. . . We were together for about three years and a few months.” Ronnie’s throat burned remembering the last time she saw Arson. “So, he, um. . .” She wiped her nose, maintaining her strength. She had not talked about what happened, ever. Not even when the police officer asked her what happened. Not even at the courthouse when they convicted the man who hit him for drunk driving and manslaughter. Not even after being threatened to be transferred to another state. Hale would be the first. . .and it was harder than ever.

“It’s okay, Nonie. You don’t have to.” He softly said in a sympathetic tone.

A tear fell as Hale called her the same name Arson did. There was one reason why Ronnie was attracted to Hale and why she wanted nothing to do with him. He reminded her too much of Arson. She couldn’t figure out if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

She breathed and continued, ready to let it out. “So he looked out for me. Helped me out all the time. One day we were running, fleeing. Much like I was today. I did do, and have done a lot of running. Well, we were just about at his house and we got hit by a car neither of us saw coming. Medics said he died instantly. I had a few broken and fractured ribs and had to have surgery. I was left with a scar on my left side the length of my hand. But I was alive.”

Hale stayed quiet.

She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. “He was the only person I’ve ever met that called me Nonie.” She thought to mention wiping away the kisses, but she’d leave that her secret. “You have the exact same eyes, and smile. It’s so scary.”

Hale remained quiet.

“After that, things in my life kind of took a turn for the worse. Not saying they were great to start with but everything crumbled. I got caught for distribution and other things. I got shipped off here and stayed in this run down foster home for two months, with more bracelets than I can count. More people knew me before I knew them and life just wasn’t all that great. I got permanently adopted about thirteen months ago by this nice lady Cassie, but I’ve been living here for fifteen months. They are really nice. Everything was really dull, not worth it until I handed over three textbooks to this boy with uncanny innocent grey eyes. And he smiled at me, forcing me to  reciprocate his smile without speaking to me, or telling me a joke, or falling on his face. He was. . .amazing and I. . .” she shrugs.

“You what?” Hale asked timidly. “You. . .” he reached up to Ronnie’s neck and slowly slid his hand up the side of her head so he could turn it to him. “You were taken from your shit hole of a life. And blanketed in happiness you can’t explain because there is no explanation for it.”

Ronnie cracked a small smile. “Just about,” she said softly.

A soft pull, just barely, Hale slowly drew Ronnie nearer him as he leaned over her. Ronnie’s eyes closed preparing for a kiss she hadn’t yet dreamed about. She slowly breathed in smelling his cologne as he got closer and not only was she moving slowly but so was the rest of the world.

With the exception of the front door. . .

They pulled away from each other as Leland stepped out and sat between them. “Did you get it yet?” he asked Ronnie.

“Excuse me, but would you be so kind, as to give this young man his fix so he can go kill some more of his brain cells,” Ronnie said to Hale.

“I like this fake southern accent thing you do when you’re trying to be a smartass, Ronnie. It really flatters you to hell,” Leland insulted.

She flicked him off.

Hale unpocketed the small baggies with the circled wafers. He handed the five bags Ronnie gave him earlier to Leland. She could tell because the baggies contained this smiley face with the eyes Xed out.

“Seriously, dude. Excuse us,” Hale said gravely.

“Ok.” Leland threw his hands up. “I get it.” He extended a hand to Hale. “I take it you are the reason Ronnie hogs my phone all night. I’d suggest you get her her own but considering the circumstance it’d be a waste of your money. And if you’re considering going the distance, it’s a waste of your time. She can’t leave the house after 3:45.”

“That is incredibly disrespectful of you to say,” Ronnie blurted, slapping his arm. “Please leave.”

Leland laughed as he walked back into the house.

“You can’t have a phone because you’re on probation?”

Ronnie’s head fell in shame. “Yep.”

“And you call me private because you’re always calling me from his phone?”

“Yep,” Ronnie answered looking down the street. The sun was starting to set, and it lit the neighborhood with a soft glow. The area was a nice, clean, middle-class neighborhood.

“And you are shamed by who you are?”

“What gave me away?”

“Let’s see. Your lies, your current posture, the troubled sound of your voice.” Hale leaned back on his arms, stabilizing himself with his hands. “I wish I could walk with you. But. . .I get it. I’m going to get out of here. Call me tonight.”

“I can’t. Leland’s going out tonight. I’ll probably be asleep when he gets back.”

“Weekend guy. . .”

“Right, aren’t you going out tonight?”

“I am now. Is there any other way I can contact you.”

“Yes, email. I’ll give it to you and you can contact me whenever you want.”

“God, it’s about time.”

Chapter 3

Ronnie was stuck in the house. At this point, she shouldn’t complain. She should have been used to it. And she would have if her mind wasn’t racing. To control it she took to her notepad, grabbed her pencil and sketched away.

With her back to her bed and her butt on the floor, her pencil and hand glided, scraped, and swiped across the pages. Long strokes, soft swipes, and short scribbles. She sketched the perfect Hale.

She’d sketched him with his head slightly turned to her, capturing the left side of his face with his eyes looking out at her. His hair was blowing in the wind and her drawing made it so it blew just past his ear to see his piercings. He sat on the front porch and the background was of the houses on her street. The sketched grey sun beams over the top of the pageand she made Hale’s shadow cover the porch.

In his shadow, she signed her name.

The computer dinged.

Ronnie’s hands were smeared with lead dust from running her hand over the page. She knew it would happen, but it made it such a great picture when she got the colors to blend and lighten or darken correctly.

She clicked her mouse with the tip of her index finger, trying not to dirty it.

Bronze: Hey, are you still going out tomorrow. I’m so sorry about today. I don’t know what I expect from you. It’s just that I guess I like you. And my mom always told me when it’s something I like and want, I don’t know how to behave so that I can get it. Not saying that I’m trying to get you or anything. Just that I like you and would really like it if you would still come out tomorrow. I seriously finished your song and after the show, I want to sing it to you. Say you’ll come out. PLEASE. I’m begging here, Ronnie, please.

Ronnie: You are such a jerk Bronze. Why would you say that stuff? I try with you and you just throw it back in my face. You could be such a nicer guy if you’d just consider other people’s feelings.

Bronze: So is that a yes you’re coming out tomorrow night or a no. I’d hate for another girl to strum my guitar while I sing to her.

Ronnie: Bye Bronze.

Bronze: I’m not serious Ronnie. Please come out. You’ll play, I’ll sing. After the show. Please. I have something special for you and everything. A little glimpse of I’m Sorry, and I’m working on it. Promise I’ll have on my tight jeans, and a tight shirt. And I’ll give 100% Bronze.

Ronnie: I don’t like Bronze. . .

Bronze: I know. You love him. I’ll see you tomorrow.

Ronnie walked away from her computer. It dinged when she sat back on the floor. She slammed her hand on the floor irritated it would call her back right after she got comfortable.

Bronze: Wear something other than jeans and a long sleeve shirt. I know why you wear the long sleeves but can you wear a dress with long sleeves instead. Okay, ttyl.

Ronnie rolled her eyes. Cynical was nice when he wanted to be. There wasn’t anything besides his swap in attitudes that made him come off as a total idiot.

“Ronda,” Cassie called from the stairs.

“Yes.”

“Can you come upstairs? There is someone at the door for you.”

Ronnie threw on her boots to go to the door. It was about nine at night, and no one should have been stopping by for her. “Ok, Cassie.”

Cassie stopped her at the basement doorway. “Just between you and me, I’m going to let you go out tonight, Ronda. You will have your tracker on and you are to be back in three hours.”

“Gosh Cassie. Thank you. But who am I going outside with?”

Cassie traded one of Ronnie’s black bracelets for the white and guided her to the front door. “Hale Nelson. He is Mrs. Helen Nelson’s son. She is from the church.”

Hale smiled at her from the door.

“He was kind enough to bring his mother by to introduce her and request my permission to ask you on a little date.” Cassie was cheerful as she bounced to the front door with an arm on Ronnie’s shoulder. “I think you should have some time out of the house.”

As they got closer to the door, Ronnie moved her hands behind her back. She had not washed them.

“Hi,” she said.

“Hi,” he greeted.

“Hale, Ronnie has special circumstances that require you all to go exactly where you tell me you are going to go. There is also a specific time frame you must follow. And from the moment she steps out of this house, she has to be back in three hours.”

“I got it, Mrs. Beverly. The Cinderella treatment.” He grinned at Ronnie. “I have it all under control.”

He changed since earlier, trading his tee shirt for a collared polo, jeans, and sneaks. His hair was brushed back, nothing like how he regularly wore it and it didn’t fit him. She liked it better messy, hanging roguishly around his head.

Cassie smiled. “Ronda. Here.” She passed her a phone. “Call if you need anything. Or if anything happens, if you happen to run into anyone. . .specific.” Ronnie got the hint. ‘If she happens to run into any late night narcs.’

Cassie was actually turning out to be pretty cool. She was beginning to trust her and Ronnie appreciated it.

“Thank you, Cassie.”

“You are welcome, Ronda. Remember what I said, and stay safe.” She moved next to her ear. “And please Ronda, for heaven’s sake, please do not run.”

“I won’t, I promise.”

Cassie continued to whisper in Ronnie’s ear. “And you might want to wash your hands.”

Chapter 4

Ronnie climbed on the back of Hale’s bike.

He strapped his helmet on her. “You like how I work my magic,” he whispered.

“I’ll let you know when you drop me off,” Ronnie said, readjusting the helmet so it was comfortable for her.

Hale climbed on his bike, cranked it, and they took off.

Ronnie hugged on to Hale’s middle as they rode. She had no idea where she was going but she trusted him. For no reason at all, she trusted him.

They stopped at a restaurant. “Don’t think I’m some weird man who brought you out to kill you because of the next few words I’m about to say. Okay?” He climbed off his bike and shook his hair out as he ran his fingers through it. Making it the way Ronnie liked it, messy and roughish.

Ronnie peculiarly studied him as she slowly stated, “Okay. . .”

“I know how to get you out of your bracelet so I can take you where I really want us to go.”

Ronnie’s eyes widened. “Like kidnap me?” she joked.

Hale smirked. “Only if you tell me no.”

She smiled and it quickly faded. She shook her head. “The slightest pinch of these bracelets will have them singing to the heavens. There is no getting them off.”

“The one that tracks your location is the easiest. . . Wait. . .um. . . bracelets, like it’s plural. How many do you have?”

Ronnie looked at the starless night sky. “Like three. Two that I’m wearing now, plus it’s this one on my ankle that’s thinner than these.” She shook her wrists. “It’s waterproof. It registers the low beams of the house and this one.” She showed the black house arrest bracelet on her left arm. “Registers the high beams and middle ones. It makes it really hard to sneak out.”

“How much longer do you have to wear them? Wait. Don’t answer that yet. May I?” Hale reached for her right arm with the white bracelet. “I won’t hurt you. And I know you don’t like to be touched so I’ll only touch you for about fifteen seconds.”

Ronnie chuckled. She lifted her arm, offering it to him.

“Check this out.” He pulled a finger nail file and a small eyeglass screwdriver from his pocket.” See everyone thinks if you take the back off where the battery is it will turn it off. But it really sounds the alarm. The trick is to leave the tracker on, and for people like you with small hands. You get it open wide enough to slide your hand out.” He slid the nail file into the adjuster and then held it there with the screwdriver. “Now I’ll hold the bracelet, you’ll slide your hand out, slowly to not trip the file or screwdriver.”

Ronnie slowly slipped her hand out. She rubbed her wrist, happy the band was off, but dreading needing to put it back on.

“Wow, that worked out really well,” he said proud and astonished.

What? “You weren’t sure it would?”

Hale chuckled. “Actually, I wasn’t. But it did which means the three years I was on house arrest,I could have gotten out at any moment had I listened to my brother back then.”

“You were―”

“Hold it until we get to our destination. We are on a strict time limit, Cinderella.”

Ronnie smiled watching Hale place her tracking bracelet in a compartment of his bike.

“Are you hungry? Should we stop in and grab you a bite to eat?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Good.” He threw his backpack on his back that he grabbed from the compartment under the seat of his bike. “Alright. We’re off.”

“Where are we going?” Ronnie asked, walking next to him.

“A few miles walk to the ledge. Just past the trees. We’ll sit in the grass and look at the city lights. It’s high, we’ll be able to see the stars.”

“Oh,” Ronnie said with insecurity.

“I’m not going to kidnap you.”

“I know karate. I’m not worried about you kidnapping me.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Hale went quiet.

They walked for a while until the path ended from a street they traveled upon after leaving the restaurant’s parking lot. Becoming submerged by trees Ronnie locked in their surroundings, not only because the trees in the night were beautiful in the moonlight, but because she wanted to know how to get back in case Hale did turn out to be a stalking kidnapper who’d managed to fool her into thinking he was a nice guy.

She trucked it beside Hale all the way to the cliff he told her about. It was wide enough to fit three cars, and literally overlooked the city. The city was bright and Ronnie took in the area, behind her, the forest, in front of her, the open brightly lit city, beneath her, the cliff and the drop from it. To her right, open land and to her left more city. The wind blew around her lightly and smelled wonderful.

“Aww,” Hale released, plopping down on the ground. “It’s nice up here, right?”

Ronnie took another breath of the fresh air. “It is.” She closed her eyes to make sure she could see and remember the land, planning to sketch it later. With her on the ledge, arms out at her side as if she were Rose on the Titanic .But instead of a boat, she’d be standing at the edge of the cliff with Hale’s arms wrapped around her middle, holding her from falling. Their hair would be blowing in the wind and she’d sketch the trees to do the same. She’d planned to add in a little color, a soft gold to add the light of the city.

It would be perfect. This is perfect. You two are perfect. . . It never failed, every time she got around Hale, those darn whispering voices always managed to make an appearance.

Why can’t I go psycho in my room or something. . .? Why does it have to be around him. . .? Ronnie thought.

“Yeah, it’s really nice up here. How’d you find it?” she asked, taking up the spot beside him. Doing her best to forget about the little voices in her head.

“I kind of came up on it. I often wander off and I wandered here. Took me hours to get back and a couple days to find it again, but it was worth it.”

“Cool.”

“Now we get to know each other. No stalling. We are on a strict time limit. Very strict now that your band is off. I’d like to do this again someday and Mrs. Beverly may not allow me to if she knew what I was really up to.”

“What are you really up to?”

“Breaking the rules and breaking you out of house arrest.”

Ronnie laughed softly.

Hale cracked open the soda and poured Ronnie a cup. “Here” She took it. “It’s Ronnie. . .?”

“White. Ronda Lamia White. Named after my mother.”

“Ronda Lamia White,” Hale repeated, testing it on his lips. It actually sounded really good coming from him.

“Yes.”

“How old are you, Miss White?”

“That is where it gets a little complicated.”

“I am patiently waiting. But remember the time limit.”

Ronnie breathed. “I’ve been running for a really long time. Um, I don’t know what happened to my father. My mother was a crack whore and I don’t know what happened to her. I was dropped on my grandmother and she died ten years ago. I’m telling you all this to say, I don’t know much about. . .” she paused long. “. . .me. Including my age. I can be anywhere between sixteen and eighteen. I’m more so leaning toward seventeen. But I can’t be for sure.”

Ronnie could tell Hale sensed her discomfort. He snorted a chuckle. “It’s just a number, right? No one really keeps up with that stuff anyway.”

Ronnie chuckled, glad he didn’t push. “How old are you?”

“Nineteen. I live with my dad. Him and my mom separated, eh, eight months ago. But she lives in the same town. Where’d you live before you moved here?”

“I was in Ohio.”

“I take it you’ve probably been all over the States.”

“You’d take it right.” Ronnie drank from her cup, tasting the light pop as she felt the fizz tickle her nose. “You were born here?”

“No, I was born in Missouri. We moved here thirteen years ago, I think.”

“Hale Nelson?”

“That’s me.”

“So, you and um. . .” He pointed out and kicked his leg as if the thought just occurred to him. “Yeah, you and Bronze, from that band Bleeding Pores. He’s your uh, not boyfriend?” Hale asked with a mischievous grin.

Ronnie grew uncomfortable. Not that she was dating Hale or Bronze but it just felt awkward knowing one knew about the other. She honestly liked both of them, all of Hale and half of Bronze.

“Umm, he’s not my boyfriend. We email periodically. I see him around. More often than I see you because he happens to be around my school sometimes. But no, he’s not my boyfriend.”

Hale nodded slowly, looking out past the cliff. “You like your new people? This is permanent for you?”

“‘Til whatever year they have me registered as eighteen. Then I’m off to Colorado.”

“Why Colorado?”

“It looks better than Pennsylvania.”

“You’re right about that.” Hale leaned back on his hands. “So you were a runner.”

“Yeah, never satisfied, never comfortable. Almost never.”

Hale scooted a bit closer to Ronnie. He slid a finger over the back of her hand resting in the grass. “Are you comfortable now, Nonie?”

Ronnie thought about that. Am I. . .? “I guess I kind of am. It has been a long time since I’ve felt like this. Like having a. . .” the word choked her up, “. . .family.” She smiled a bit. “A few good friends, school’s school but at least I’m going.” She tittered at herself. “It’s not funny.” She looked down at her half empty cup. “It’s actually kind of sad.” Looking back up, out toward the night sky, she said, “But having this stuff, these people, I’m still not a regular teen. . .”

“A regular teen. . .?”

Ronnie shrugged. “The average teen is not on probation. Curfew’s pretty average but. . .” Ronnie cheesed thinking about her curfew “. . .it’s not 3:45 pm.” Hale laughed. “See what I mean. But when I think about complaining, I remember how bad it was, my life. The adults who probably only took me in to get those checks the state gives you for fostering. The life I was trying to escape.”

“I guess there’s no more running for you.”

“I guess not.”

Hale looked out toward the sky. He nodded and slightly turned to face her. “You couldn’t run forever, Nonie.”

Ronnie’s head whipped toward Hale. Some things he said were too familiar. “I am going to say a name.” She moved to sit in front of him. “I want you to look me in my eyes as I say it.”

“Okay.” Hale sat up straight and looked her deep in her eyes seizing Ronnie’s breath from her body.

Ronnie gasped trying to get it back.

“In and out.” Hale inhaled. “In.” He blew out slowly. His breath mixing with the wind drifted across her face. “And out.” He gazed and every blink Ronnie felt it capture her. Taking pieces away from her, stealing her. . .

“W-what W―” Ronnie stuttered. Forgetting what she was trying to remember, whatever it was she was trying to say.

Hale blinked again. His grey eyes were like flashes with every blink. They pierced through his gaze, keeping Ronnie from looking away, keeping her from moving.

“Stop,” she said, feeling overtaken. But he was doing nothing.

He blinked and gazed.

“Stop it,” she said again, frozen.

He gazed two seconds, then blinked.

“Arson, Stop it!” she yelled. And the world stood still as a small glimmer appeared in the back of Hale’s eyes. The inner of his eyes seemed to blink, and Ronnie jumped back. Released from Hale’s hold.

Hale vigorously shook his head as Ronnie fell back into the ground. He rubbed his hands over his face and stood, then quickly sat back down.

“What was that?” Ronnie asked.

Hale looked at her, then away. “Did you see that?” he anxiously asked with wide eyes. An expression of shock swept over his face. He shook his head again. “What did you call me?” he questioned confused, firmly pressing the heel of his hand against his forehead.

“I-I-um, I’m sorry.”

“Agh. . .” he protested irritably. “No.” He threw his hand out at her. “What was the name you called me?”

“Arson. . .” Ronnie whispered.

Chapter 5

“I’ll talk to you later. Thanks for coming out with me.” Hale said, without making eye contact with Ronnie like he usually would.

Ronnie was extremely uncomfortable. His discomfort was making it worse. “Okay.,” she said turning to her door.

“One more thing.” Hale grabbed her arm as she turned to the door, keeping her left hand from reaching the knob. “Discomforted. . .though she ran, dropped the slipper and all, Prince Charming still got a kiss from Cinderella.”

Ronnie faced him and licked her lips, fighting hard to contain her smile. “Hmm, too bad I’m Ronnie and not Cinderella.”

“There is a story there too. You just haven’t read all the pages yet. But if you’d like, I have. . .” he looked at his watch. “Six minutes to tell you the ending.”

Ronnie pinched her lips to the right side of her mouth. “I don’t like spoilers.”

“Well, how about I show you.”

“Show me. . .?”

Hale’s hand swooped behind Ronnie’s neck, lifting her head up. “Now see, after all this heartbreak, running, and loss Ronnie went through. Hale came in on his magic carpet that actually happened to be a motorcycle. One of the best money could buy, I might add. He swooped up his desperate damsel, tossing her on the back of his bike just in the nick of time.”

“What was after Ronnie?” Ronnie asked.

Hale looked off then back. “She was. . .”

Ronnie’s breath stalled before slowly returning.

“See, it happened that Ronnie was her worst enemy, she did the worst of her damage because she blamed herself for everything that had happened in her life; the people she lost, the things she went through. She blamed herself for being the reason no one wanted to deal with her. She was the antagonist of her own fairytale.” Hale quickly looked at his watch. “I won’t tell you the middle, what Hale did to show Ronnie how wrong she was. But the ending. . .as Ronnie nervously doubted this new gentleman’s place in her life. As she searched her mind for an understanding and an explanation that she’d probably never get. Because some things just don’t have one. As Ronnie’s head flared in confusion. Hale brought her close.” He stepped closer to her. “He grabbed her gently.” He brought his free hand to her head and cupped the side of her face. “He leaned forward as Ronnie slowly closed her eyes. Um, you have to close your eyes.” Ronnie giggled, as she closed her eyes. “Hale gently, just barely grazed her lips with his. Placing a kiss softer than the wind against her mouth.”

Ronnie stopped breathing waiting for his kiss, eyes still closed. She felt him leaning in. She was sure he was moving faster than she interpreted but everything moved slowly.

“Ronnie tried every method she could think of to bring her breath back, but Hale had stolen it.” The breath of his words kissed her lips before he could.

The energy from his lips pressed to hers as her bracelet beeped in warning. Warning she had one minute to walk through the door.

Hale leaned back, dropping his hands. “That wasn’t in the story.”

Ronnie took a deep breath cursing the bracelet.

“I’ll talk to you later, Ronnie.” He quickly kissed her cheek, wiped it and ran off to his bike saying, “Go in the house before that annoying beeping gets louder.”

Clutching the door knob, she opened it and stuck her wrists and right leg inside as she remained standing halfway on the porch. “Wait.” She called trying not to yell out to him.

Hale looked her direction, noticing her slick move.

She threw her head back, nodding for him to return.

Hale ran back to her, grabbed her again, and kissed her. Kissed her so deep Ronnie’s knees buckled. Her clutch on the door hardened, hurting her hands and it was over far too soon.

He rubbed his thumb over her lips and wiped away the remainder of the kiss from Ronnie’s lips. She hoped he wouldn’t, she hoped he’d let it stay, let it linger so she could remember it longer, replay it in her mind instead of her memory overlapping with the feeling of his thumb brushing over her lips.

“Why do you do that?” she asked, feeling light and heavy at the same time.

Hale stared down at her, but Ronnie refused to look up at him. Since the cliff, she avoided his gaze. Something in his gaze was all wrongly right. Was so rightly wrong. Was so confusing and had appeared to have equally thrown him for a loop because he didn’t seem to know what happened either.

“What?”

“Every time. . .you wipe it away?”

Hale took a deep breath. “I’ll talk to you later, Ronnie. Call tomorrow if you can.” Hale ran off, again, without looking back.

Ronnie walked into the darkness of the house, pushing the door closed behind her.

“That was a cool way to beat the system,” Cassie said, scaring the life out of Ronnie.

Ronnie peeped a squeal.

Cassie tittered. “I’m sorry, Ronda. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“Gosh. . . I didn’t know you were sitting there. Sorry, I’m half late and half on time.” An uneasy feeling ran through Ronnie. “Did you just see that?”

“Yes.”

“Ugh, that’s embarrassing.”

“It is. But it happens. That seemed like a pretty intense kiss.” Cassie emerged from the darkness of the stairs, into the street light that shined through the living room from the large window.

“Um, Cassie. We don’t have to talk about this.”

Cassie tittered yet again as she bounced over to Ronnie on her toes. “There is nothing to be embarrassed about, Ronda. I am sure you’ve had your share of kisses as have I. Just watch out for yourself. I know you’ve been out in the world for a while and have experienced the birds and the bees talk.”

“No, please don’t give me the birds and the bees talk at twelve midnight.” Ronnie pleaded.

Cassie laughed. “I won’t. Did you enjoy your night out? He seems like a nice young man, Hale.”

“Yes, and he was a gentleman. We went to the restaurant over near the recreation center.”

“I know.”

“Oh yeah. Well, I had a good time. Thank you for letting me go. I had no idea we were even going somewhere, or he was even coming over.”

“A nice surprise,” Cassie offered.

“It was. Thanks again. I’m going to head to bed.”

“Thank you for not running, Ronda.”

“I have nothing to run from, Cassie. Good night.” Ronnie said, making her way down the hallway.

Her bracelets beeped, checking her in, as usual and she was stuck downstairs for the remainder of the night.

Ronnie signed on to her computer before she prepared to go to sleep. She wished she had gone to the bathroom first, but she was stuck in unless she called for Cassie.

She had thirteen emails. Six of them were from Bronze. This had never been an issue for Ronnie before. Liking one and a half boys. It was always one or none. The only serious relationship she was ever in was with you know who. But there she was, emailing Bronze, letting him know she was making it back in and she got his messages and that she’d meet him tomorrow outside of Harris Park.

She left the computer for her sketch pad, wanting to release the overload of images in her head.

Staring at the blank page, images of Hale’s grey eyes flashed across it. Ronnie’s body became controlled. Blindly she sketched, hand and pencil racing over the page with eyes of their own, drawing an image over the once blank canvas. Her lashes rapidly fluttered against her face as her eyes were rolling back. She sketched without sight until the picture was completed. She didn’t realize she stopped breathing until a gust of air rushed from her lungs. Ronnie panted, clutching the pencil so tightly it broke, holding the sketch pad too tight the coils made prints in her hand.

She stood, dropping her sketch pad on the floor as she blinked, now in control of her eyes and her body. She moved her fingers and touched her arms and hair, grabbed the hem of her shirt and rubbed her eyes realizing everything was okay. But confused about what had just happened to her. An eerie feeling was coming over her, starting in her toes and slowly crawling up her legs, causing the hairs on her body to stand as it made its way to the scalp of her head. Her hands shook as she was drenched in edginess.

Look. . . the voices softly whispered. She could barely hear them now and she hoped they were beginning to fade away.

She looked down at the eyes beaming back at her. Her drawing of Hale’s eyes. She’d captured them perfectly. The exact way they looked at her as they stole every atom of her being. Empty yet too full. Partially overflowing, not able to take another ounce of Ronnie, but they continued to capture more of her in every blink. It was too weird.

Ronnie bent over, picking the sketchpad up from the floor. She couldn’t pull her eyes away from him, even as a drawing. It started at his forehead, she’d drawn his smooth brows, those eyes that stole her breath, and the bottom of the page stopped right at his cheekbones, getting the top half of his nose. She stared as the images started playing on the page,as if she were turning the pages of a flipbook. She started right in the pupils of his eyes, seeing herself, smiling, enjoying a moment she’d only dreamed about. She saw him, smiling, laughing at a joke she couldn’t hear. And in every background Arson was there, standing off to the side either looking at them or looking away toward the sun. He had no facial expression or particular stance. He just stayed in the background, the only still part of the playing images, until he charged for her, charging through the sketch pad. She threw the notebook on the floor, stumbling backwards until she toppled onto her bed. The book hit the area rug with a soft slap, and the pages slowly flipped until they settled on a tree Ronnie drew some time ago.

Ronnie panted, scared out of her mind, and unable to make sense of what just happened. She thought of all possibilities; mental illness, lack of sleep, touching the wrong drug. . .none of them made any sense. Besides tiny voices that whispered in her ear, she had her sanity, for the first time in a long time. She was well rested. And she didn’t directly touch drugs. She settled on hallucinations, it was the only way to explain it.

But she couldn’t ignore seeing Arson, nor could she ignore the similarities between him and Hale. It was getting to be too much. She couldn’t tell for sure what it was about Hale that she liked or if she was just going for him because of the things they have in common. But if Arson was going to stalk her because of it, she was out.

Ronnie believed in ghosts and returning spirits, and she wanted to have nothing to do with it.

TO BE CONTINUED... in Left in Your Forgotten

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